The original 2-D Prince of Persia has always been acknowledged as the inspiration for the original Tomb Raider and it's easy to see why--it has the same mixture of running, jumping and platform climbing mixed in with tricky Indiana Jones-style puzzles and sword fights (though, okay, Lara prefers an AK47 to a scimitar). These days, however, there's one big difference between the Prince and La Croft: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is miles better than Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness. The game features some quite extraordinary graphics and animation as the prince leaps and jumps with amazing grace and makes a number of moves inspired by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The controls are a dream too, especially during combat, and even the camera system--usually the Achilles heel of any 3-D adventure--is great, zipping to a fixed position if it looks like any of the scenery is going to get in the way. The Sands of Time has a bunch of new ideas to add to the usual mix, most notably the chance to control time itself. Each of the demonic monsters you fight will spill a quantity of magical sand when they die and you can use this to power the dagger of time and rewind, slow down or fast-forward time. This allows you to instantly recover from unexpected deaths and allows you to concentrate on having fun and playing the game. Excellent stuff. --David Jenkins

Features:- When a young prince discovers an ancient dagger, it leads to a great evil befalling his father's land. The only way to contain these dark powers is through the impossible feat of controlling the Sands Of Time. With no other choice, our hero aims to try. So begins a new adventure in the haunted, scorching sands of Persia.- Twists & turns abound in this adventure, more than you'll find in the royal palace itself. Use your logical thinking skills to solve the mindbenders you'll come across- The Prince is well-trained and it shows - Use his great acrobatic skills & fighting moves to beat the dark shadows after him- Wield the power of the incredible Sands Of Time -- Erase past mistakes, view what you'll face in later levels, and stop time in the present- Explore the massive landscapes of ancient Persia in this adventure of mythical proportions!